After three hours of flight delays and about an hour of turbulence, we arrived in Barcelona. We flew RyanAir, which is a European airline known for its cheap airfare. However, it is also known for the fact that people typically applaud upon landing, thankful to have touched down safely. You get what you pay for, I guess!
We spent about an hour walking around the city, trying to find an inexpensive hostel. We found one in a very central location, dropped off our luggage and then did what we do best: eat. After studying abroad in a country that claims to have some of the best food in the world (and believe me, it does!), my expectations for Spanish cuisine weren't very high. The food was beyond amazing, though. And so cheap! We each ordered multiple courses, along with 2 liters of sangria, for just 10-15 euro/person. A similar meal in Florence would cost at least 30 euro/person.
On Friday, we left our hostel around 10am to explore the city. We walked down Las Ramblas, which is a beautiful, tree-lined street filled with flower shops and street performers. We stopped at a local market, which was probably the highlight of the trip for me. There were fruits and vegetables and nuts and candy everywhere, and all of the food was displayed so beautifully (see photo). I ate a fresh mango that literally melted in my mouth and shared a dish of vegetable paella with Mandy.
After the market, we continued walking down Las Ramblas, stopping at various stores to shop and buy souvenirs. We walked to and along the waterfront, took a few pictures and then hopped on the metro to Parc Guell. The park was like CandyLand came to life, and it offered spectacular views of the city and sea. After roaming around the park for an hour, we took the metro to La Sagrada Familia. When completed, it will be the largest - and undoubtedly the most beautiful - cathedral in the world. It isn't scheduled to be completed until 2026, but the current architecture and design are still remarkably impressive. AND all of the construction work is on a strict, volunteer-only basis.
After a long day of exploration, we returned to our hostel to recoup and get ready for a night out in one of Europe's most notorious clubbing cities. We ate yet another delicious meal of seafood and meat paella and sangria and then made our way to Opium, which is a famous club located right on the beach. It fulfilled every European club stereotype and so much more... a huge patio on the sand filled with white couches, dancers dressed in euroslutty costumes, American music blaring from every speaker, etc.
We danced and sang until about 6am and then took a taxi to our hostel. After a few hours of sleep, we started our 8-hour journey back to Florence, just in time for Pastry Sunday. (For future reference, our landlord brings us pastries every Sunday morning, hence the term "Pastry Sunday.")
Other weekend highlights:
- STARBUCK'S! I squealed when I saw the first one. I have been craving iced chai for weeks, and Starbuck's has never tasted so good.
- My first visit to TopShop. A favorite of Kate Moss (who also designs for the brand), I have wanted to go to this store for months.
- The seafood. From the grilled salmon on Thursday night to trying my first mussel in the paella (SO good!), I realized how much I miss great seafood. Florence is known for its biftec alla griglia (grilled beef), so seafood is fairly rare.
- Booking our flights to Ibiza for spring break this morning. Ibiza is a small island off the eastern coast of Spain, known for its white, sandy beaches and insane club scene. While I do love being touristy and trying to visit 93058 landmarks in one day, I am seriously looking forward to laying on a beach for a week.
Next stop: Germany and Switzerland this weekend! We're taking the overnight train to Zurich, where Micheal (Sara's German foreign exchange student from high school) is picking us up. I can't wait to see him!
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